A'constant'in our design process is to be 'Nature' sensitive.Our objective is to bring 'Nature' into the design, to include the natural qualities inherent to Southern California and it’s ‘micro climates’- its native rocks, its changing elevations, the unique climates of its canyons, beaches, & interior desert environments.

·Michael Buckner, born and raised in San Diego, has been both a nurseryman, and a landscape designer in Southern California for over 40 years. His design work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden, Pacific Horticulture, books by Debra Lee Baldwin, and multiple othermagazines and newspapers.

·Michael is a nationally 'Certified Judge' for the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, a horticulturalist, a grower of rare and exotic plant materials, a sought after speaker, an avid student of natural history, and abibliophile.

·Jenise (Deeter) Buckner holds degrees in both Landscape Architecture and Fine Art (MFA, Masters of Fine Art).She taught drawing and black & white photography at SDSU for three years, while earning her masters degree.

Thursday, December 12

Following are some recent images of the bayside garden in Coronado - these images reveal how 'Rocks are used to Represent the Family' - the Protector, the Partner, etc.

See if you can pick out the two largest boulders at the arroyo's edge representing - in this garden - the male and female head's of the family.

Also, as I mentioned, this garden was recently planted, so check back...we'll post more photos of the garden as it matures during the next 6 months. Enjoy! And Happy Holidays!

Rocks representing the family….

Which one of the two rocks do you think is the female, and which the male?Another gorgeous day in Cornado…note the colors of the setting sun on the Euphorbias at the far right corner of the photo…which is also the ocean-side pathway of the garden.

Grandpa's Garden rock was also installed in the whirlpool of this beautiful dry bed arroyo.

Here's a couple pictures of the 'view from the garden' of beautiful San Diego in the setting sun….fabulous! Imagine having this view every day of your life! Wow!

Wednesday, December 4

This beautiful "blossoming garden" is an original work in progress on the bayside of Coronado. The project is a sweet location to work at on so many levels! We recently laid down some of flagstone pathways, new D.G., and new top dressing for the planted garden areas...

Work calls me, so I'm out the door right now…more text and photos to come!! Enjoy!!

A fabulous 'work in progress'…the flagstone on the right-side pathway awaits installation, and additional boulders 'representing the family members' will be installed in the arroyo garden area!

'Before' and 'after' photos of a sustainable landscape in Rancho Santa Fe. The garden area is a rather large, open area behind a ranch style home. The building in this image is one of two 'bungalows' found in the back. I'll share a bit of text…but I believe the 'before' and the 'after' photos speak for themselves. Enjoy!

A wide angle view of the design…note a dry bed arroyo just barely visible on the far right edge of this photo…more of that to come.

The image below is the 'source' of the dry bed arroyo seen in the photo's edge above. Beginning at the base of a majestic multi-trunked Coral Tree it was designed to wind around and out into the wide open back yard landscape.

Below…a new angle of the dry bed. Just a few steps down the arroyo, the meandering dry bed meets up with a newly 'carved out' & installed flagstone pathway. This new, rather 'intimate pathway' can easily become a new 'garden tableau'…from which to enjoy the view into new back yard landscape design.

Before.

Looking from the opposite point of view….this image is wide enough to see where the dry bed arroyo and it's companion pathway will be later 'carved out' of the existing garden area. Look immediately to the right side of the large multi-trunked Coral Tree…and then look at the next photo.

After...

The dry bed arroyo...a beautiful flowing 'work in progress'

Before

After

After…A 'work in progress' the rocks appear to be water flowing. Fabulous!

It's been awhile since I had time to add to my blog…but here we go…new images of delightful places…enjoy!

Here're some new photos of a stunning landscape in Coronado we began installation on some 8 months ago. Look how beautiful…the plants are established and 'showing off' with color and proportion. The two Melaleuca trees (which we continue to bonsai for the client) are simply 'jewels' in the landscape. Naturally, we adore our Coronado clients…we're working on a new landscape design right now, just down the street…bayside as well…photos of that transformation are coming soon!

One really must see this garden in person…both the Melaleuca's were laced out to create an open, bonsai-style tree shape…this distinctive form, along with the trees' inherent paper-like bark, support an original & elegant front garden in Coronado….and it's easy to see how the shapes and colors of both the plants and the rock material share an imaginative even 'jewel-like' visual relationship.

I adore this multi-headed Red Echeveria and the way it 'bursts forth' from the lava bowl.

Jewel-like...

Details…in movement…color…form…texture…in the afternoon light.

We added the flagstone slab bench recently…a lovely spot from which to enjoy the garden.

Tuesday, September 10

The following photos were taken at the L.A. Arboretum Inter-City Succulent and Cactus Show held in August of 2013. The first six photos were taken during a talk on 'The Trophy Table Judging Process' given by Michael Buckner and 'Woody' Minnich at the 'Trophy Winner's' table in the L.A. Arboretum.

*I'll add additional text later on, including more names with faces...enjoy for now!

Michael Buckner

Michael Buckner

Michael Buckner and Woody Minnich, "How big is it?"

Michael Buckner and Woody Minnich

Michael Buckner and Woody Minnich, And.."How small is it?"

Debra Lee Baldwin (author of 3 books on succulents, including 'Designing With Succulents') and Woody Minnich.

A group photo of the 'Trophy Winners' at the 'grand masters show'.Two Dogs, Two Photographers (including Michael), and Two Spots!!

A photo of the Inter-City Committee Board Members.

Tom Glavich and John Luhnow...shakers and movers of the tri-city show.

The next photos represent the evening plant auction and the 'fun' and the activities with the plants and the people attending the auction. Auctioneers: Michael Buckner and Woody Minnich, assisted by Peter Walkowiak.

Michael Buckner, Woody Minnich, Peter Walkowiak…seeking the highest bidder...and the evening's plant auction crowd hoping to be the 'highest bidder' on the plant's of their choice.

Michael Buckner..pontificating..."Was that a bid?"

Peter Walkowiak walking the plants for auction through the crowd.

Peter, Michael and Woody, shaking and movin'...enjoying a bit of fun over the auction of this 'unique' plant...note the bill in Peter's t-shirt pro-offered by one of the evening's bidders, in fact she won the bid. It's obvious...these cactus and succulent people know just how to promote a bit of good fun!

Woody Minnich

Peter with 'big grape'!

Nicholas Wilkenson enjoying the commaradee...a winning smile.

Another view through the camera lens...plenty of good fun was had by all…

About Me

I'm Jenise (Deeter) Buckner, and a partner with Deeter Buckner Design, LLC (originally Jenise Deeter Desgins). My desire to do landscape design grew out of creative passion; a love of art/design, and working on the land with plants and people. I'm also an artist - degrees in Landscape Architecture & Masters of Fine Arts. I returned to school to study Landscape Architecture after 8+ yrs in the nursery business, with a love of nature (childhood, 2,000 acre farm in ND) and a art and design background. My degree in Landscape Architecture provides the tools I need to create concept plans designs (on paper) of original sustainable water-wise landscapes, creative enhancements of outdoor living spaces.
Studies/Degrees: M.F.A., Masters of Fine Art, San Diego State, A.S. Landscape Architect, Mesa C. College, San Diego, and Narrative Film; and Storyboarding at Art Center, Pasadena.
I taught college art (drawing and mixed media) @ SDSU while a grad student. I also taught B&White Photography under Walt Cotten @ SDSU. After graduation, I exhibited contemporary art and short films in San Diego and Los Angeles.